Never to be confused
Posted on 02/19/2006 10:39:56 AM PST by Dundee
Howard hits out at 'jihad' Muslims
JOHN Howard has strongly criticised aspects of Muslim culture, warning they pose an unprecedented challenge for Australia's immigration program.
While he remained confident that the overwhelming majority of Muslims would be successfully integrated, the Prime Minister said there were two unique problems that previous intakes of migrants from Europe and Asia did not have.
"I do think there is this particular complication because there is a fragment which is utterly antagonistic to our kind of society, and that is a difficulty," Mr Howard told The Australian.
"You can't find any equivalent in Italian, or Greek, or Lebanese, or Chinese or Baltic immigration to Australia. There is no equivalent of raving on about jihad, but that is the major problem."
The Prime Minister also expressed concern about Muslim attitudes to women. "I think some of the associated attitudes towards women (are) a problem," he said.
"For all the conservatism towards women and so forth within some of the Mediterranean cultures, it's as nothing compared with some of the more extreme attitudes.
"The second one of those things is a broader problem, but to be fair to them, it's an attitude that is changing with the younger ones."
The comments are contained in a new book to mark the 10th anniversary of Mr Howard's rise to power. Written by The Australian's team of journalists and commentators, The Howard Factor -- a decade that changed the nation will be published on February 27 and launched by the Prime Minister on March 2.
Mr Howard gave a series of interviews for the book on December 9, the final sitting day of the parliamentary year for 2005. This happened to be just two days before the race riots in the Sydney beachside suburb of Cronulla.
The Prime Minister did not specify which Muslim source nations he was concerned about.
By placing Lebanese immigrants in the same integrated category as the Italian, Greek, Chinese and Baltic, he appears to have been referring to the Christian rather than the Muslim intake from the Middle East.
The president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, Ameer Ali, said the conservative Muslims about whom Mr Howard was talking represented only a "tiny fraction".
"There is (also) a tiny fraction of Australians who believe in white supremacy," said Dr Ali, who chairs Mr Howard's Muslim advisory group.
"I think he (Mr Howard) understands that the large majority of Muslims are like everyone else.
"In any society there are immigrants who try to hold on to their traditions, and it takes time to change. My faith is in the following generation -- the next generation will be more adaptive."
In the interview, Mr Howard was upbeat about the immigration program.
Australia crossed two immigrant thresholds in 2003-04, which is the latest year for which Bureau of Statistics tables are available. The overseas-born population rose to 24per cent -- its highest proportion since the 1890s. And the European share of the immigrant total fell below 50 per cent for the first time.
The previous Labor government of Paul Keating had the overseas-born at 23 per cent of the population, and the European component was 57 per cent.
Mr Howard seemed genuinely pleased when the numbers were read out to him.
"Really? I think what it demonstrates is that we have run a truly non-discriminatory immigration policy."
After slashing immigration in his first term between 1996 and 1998, Mr Howard has steadily ratcheted up the intake to levels that now exceed those under Labor's Bob Hawke in the 1980s.
As Opposition leader in 1988, Mr Howard attacked Asian immigration. He later apologised and conceded the move cost him his job at the time.
His comment in August that year was: "I wouldn't like to see it (the rate of Asian immigration) greater. I'm not in favour of going back to a White Australia policy. I do believe that if it is -- in the eyes of some in the community -- that it's too great, it would be in our immediate-term interest and supporting of social cohesion if it were slowed down a little, so the capacity of the community to absorb it was greater."
Mr Howard's latest observations on Muslim culture are not in the same category, because they do not suggest the rate of Muslim immigration should be slowed down in the interests of social cohesion. "The public sometimes mixes up attitudes to immigration with attitudes to our identity and our history," he told The Australian.
"I think one of the reasons why people have been accepting of all of this is that they feel they have a Government and a Prime Minister that is in favour of what I might call a slightly less zealous multiculturalism than was practised by my predecessor.
"Not a return to assimilation so much, but somewhere in between, which is what people want.
"What resonates most with people, I find, is they don't mind where new people come from, as long as they've got skills, and as long as they become Australians when they arrive.
"But that doesn't mean they should forget where they were born."
Which begs the question: "Why did they come here?"
Answer that and you'll see what must be done.
Publicly confident. I suspect his private views on the matter are quite different. .....if he's been paying attention, at least.
Be careful, Mr. Howard!
yeah..the title confused me...I wondered if Howard Dean had a brain transplant
"Not a return to assimilation so much, but somewhere in between, which is what people want.
"What resonates most with people, I find, is they don't mind where new people come from, as long as they've got skills, and as long as they become Australians when they arrive.
"But that doesn't mean they should forget where they were born."
He's not quite there, yet. There's nothing wrong with a "return to assimilation".
Why are ANY countries still allowing Muslims to immigrate there? I certainly include the US in that. Why, just why. Let them stay home and stew in their own juices, we've got too many Muslims as it is and I can see NO reason to continue to import them. Europe, the US, Canada, Australia and NZ need to stop ALL immigration now, or at least stop all muslim immigration IMMEDIATELY. Tell me if this were polled at least 75% of the public wouldn't agree, and it would probably be closer to 90%.
Stop Jihad Now!
I was of course wrong. The democrat party and al Queda remain ferociously strong allies of convenience, both the absolute sworn enemies of the American people.
Ameer Ali
Put that name on the list.
Right on brotherman. Granted, there are a percentage that do try to integrate into western culture but as witnessed by the problems occurring in Europe, there is too large a percentage that don't and therefor pose too great a risk for the country to bear. Placing a moratorium on immigration by all muslims is the only solution. When Islamofacism is defeated then we can normalize immigration.
All pure genius from Jay D. Dyson of Sacred Cow Burgers.
In the U.K., 40% of Muslims support the implementation of Sharia. 41% oppose Sharia. Mr. Ali should check some facts before he spouts off about his co-religionists. They don't appear to have opinions "like everyone else" in the Queen's country.
...and therein lies the problem. Every muslim is always only one excuse away from conducting jihad.
The same can be said about Mexicans. Assuming that the Muslims immigrated to Europe and Australia through proper legal channels, the Mexicans are even a more serious risk.
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